Cartridge feeder device for automatic firearms with a drive mechanism independent of the breechblock

ABSTRACT

A cartridge feeding device including a torsion spring mechanism which is interposed between a drive member and a cartridge feeding member and which functions as an energy accumulator.

imited States Patent 91 Hupp et al.

May 29, 1973 CARTRIDGE FEEDER DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS WITH A DRIVE MECHANISM INDEPENDENT OF THE BREECHBLOCK Inventors: Gerhard Hupp; Ludwig Vorgrimler,

both of Oberndorf/Neckar, Gerillllllllilllillll lllll-t IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIII [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,924,150 2/1960 Maillard ..89/33 CA 3,230,828 l/1966 Maillard ..89/33 CA 1,401,667 12/1921 Brown ..89/33 BA 2,436,370 2/1948 Alexander.. ..89/33 CA 2,792,761 5/1957 Simpson ..89/33 CA Primary ExaminerStephen C. Bentley Att0rneyBums, Doane, Benedict, Swecker & Mathis 5 7] ABSTRACT A cartridge feeding device including a torsion spring mechanism which is interposed betweena drive member and a cartridge feeding member and which functions as an energy accumulator.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEL IHY 2 9 I973 SHEET 1 BF 2 CARTRIDGE FEEDER DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC FIREARMS WITH A DRIVE MECHANISM INDEPENDENT OF THE BREECI-IBLOCK In automatic firearms, numerous cartridge feeder devices are known in which the feeder mechanism is activated by the breechblock movement. These feeder devices operate in a comparatively hard fashion, expecially when the weapon has a high cyclic rate of fire.

There are also models in which the feed control motion is not derived from the breechblock movement, but rather takes place independently of the latter. But even these known feeder devices do not meet the requirements to be established for the purpose of feeding the cartridges with the least possible impact in combination with a feeder device working with a gentle flow of force.

This invention relates to a cartridge feeder device of the last-named type. The purpose is to avoid the disadvantages of known feeder devices of this kind. To achieve this according to the invention, a torsion bar spring system functioning as an accumulator or force storage device, is arranged in a cartridge feeder device for automatic firearms. This feeder device has a drive mechanism independent of the breechblock. The torsion bar spring system is interposed between the drive mechanism, which receives a drive impulse from the weapon as a round is fired, and a switching, control, or feeding member for the cartridges.

According to another practical characteristic of the invention, the torsion bar spring system consists of a torsion bar and a spring pipe or spring cage surrounding it which is firmly connected by its rear end with the torsion bar and which, at its front end, engages the feeding member for the cartridges.

In a cartridge feeder device, provided with a starshaped cartridge feeder part, the torsion bar spring system is best guided centrally through the star-shaped cartridge feeder part. This gives a particularly spacesaving design for the cartridge feeder device.

According to one preferred version of the invention, there is arranged, on the front end of the torsion bar, a ratchet wheel, which is controlled by a gas-pressure operated rotating piston.

The rotating piston is preferably acted upon by a thrust-piston which is arranged in the weapon housing or in the rotating piston housing, laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the weapon.

The drawings show one example of the invention, as follows:

FIG. 1, a longitudinal cross-section through the control or switching device with schematic illustration of the pertinent weapons;

FIG. 2, a cross-section II-II, according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a cross-section III-III, according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a cross-section IVIV, according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 5, a rear view of the switching device, looking in the direction in which the round is fired;

FIG. 6, a schematic illustration of a preferred torsion bar spring system according to the invention, in the resting position;

FIG. 7, the torsion bar spring system according to FIG. 6, in the cocked position;

FIG. 8, the torsion bar spring system according to FIG. 6, after the completion of the switching procedure.

With regard to the weapon illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, we have shown only the essential parts, that is, the barrel 10, the weapon housing 11, and the breechblock 12. The housing 14 for a rotating piston 15 is articulated on the weapon housing 11 by means of bolt 13. The rotating piston 15 is held in its basic position by means of a restoring, torsion spring 16. Laterally with respect to the weapon axis, a gas piston 17 is positioned in a cylinder bore 18 (FIG. 2) which is connected with the bore of the barrel 10 by means ofa gas duct 19. The gas piston 17, the cylinder bore 18, and the gas duct 19 can also be arranged in the weapon housing 11.

The rotating piston housing 14 is connected, for exarriple, by means of screws 20 with the interposition of a lid 21 which is designed as second bearing for the rotating piston 15 with a guide casing 22 on which the cartridge feeder housing 23 is positioned by means of a bearing 23a. In the guide casing 22, there is positioned the front end of a rotatable carrying casing 24 for a conventional star-shaped, cartridge or cartridge belt feeder part 25. Casing 24, at its rear end, is received by bearing 23b of the cartridge feeder housing 23 and constitutes the feeding or drive member for the star-shaped cartridge feeder part 25. The star-shaped cartridge feeder part 25 is connected with the carrying casing 24 by means of screws 26, wedges, cams, or the like.

On rotatable piston 15 there is a switching or indexing bolt 15a, with which cooperates one or more switching ratchets 28. These ratchets 28 are arranged in a rotatable cam 27 that telescopes over the bolt 15a. The cam 27 is provided along its outside circumference with notches 27a which cooperate with ratchets 29, for the purpose of limiting the switching step. Ratchets 29 are arranged on guide casing 22 as shown in FIG. 3.

The rearward-extending cam bolt 27b reveals a many-sided hole or socket for the reception of the front end 30a of the torsion bar 30 of a torsion bar spring system (FIG. 6). The rear end 30b of the torsion bar 30 is firmly connected with a spring tube or spring cage 31 including a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced spring strip members surrounding the torsion bar. The torsion bar system is housed in the carrying casing 24 in such a manner that its rear end 30b is freely rotatable with respect to the carrying casing. The front part of the spring tube or spring cage 31 is frictionally or immovably connected and meshed with carrying casing 24, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Cam bolt 27b is rotatably journaled and meshed within the first part of the spring cage 31 as shown in FIG. 1.

The cartridge feeder device works as follows:

After the firing of a cartridge, a part of the gases flows from barrel 10 through the gas duct 19 into the cylinder bore 18. The gas piston 17 is forced against the wall 15b of the rotary piston 15. As a result of this, the latter performs a turn to the left looking into the direction in which we are firing. The rotation path is limited by a boss 14a of the rotary piston housing 14. When the rotary piston 15 rotates, the cam 27 is picked up and taken along by the ratchets 28 (FIG. 3). The torsion bar 30 must follow the movement of the cam 27. Because of the initial resistance to movement of the star-shaped cartridge feeder part 25, due to the resistance to movement of the cartridge belt, there occurs first of all a twisting of the torsion bar 30 and the end 30b of the spring tube or spring cage 31, until the thus stored forces overcome the inertia along the starshaped cartridge feeder part 25. This guarantees elastic force transmissionv The tensing or cocking time of the torsion bar spring system is very short so that the entire recoil run of the breechblock can be used for the purpose of releasing or uncocking the spring system and for the thus resulting feeding of a new cartridge.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 schematically illustrate the torsion bar spring system in three phases, that is, FIG. 6 in the resting position, FIG. 7 in the cocked position, and FIG. 8 after the switching process has taken place. In these Figures, torsion bar 30 has been extended, for illustration purposes, to locate end 3011 outside the cage 31.

The cartridge switching device described here can also be designed for the opposite direction of rotation, as can readily be seen here.

We claim:

1. An automatic firearm comprising:

a barrel means;

a breechblock mechanism movably mounted in said barrel means;

a cartridge feeder device;

means fixedly securing said barrel means to said feeder device against relative longitudinal reciprocating movement with respect thereto,

said cartridge feeder device comprising:

a drive mechanism operable independently of movement of said breechblock mechanism and including means for transmitting a drive impulse in response to a firing of the firearm;

feeder means communicating with said barrel means for delivering cartridges thereto; and

a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means for storing and transmitting energy from said drive mechanism in response to a firing of the firearm;

said drive mechanism comprising:

a rotary piston drivingly coupled to said torsion bar spring system; and

means, including a conduit communicating with the interior of said barrel means and having a portion thereof extending toward said rotary piston laterally of the axis of rotation thereof, for exerting exhaust-gas energy from said barrel laterally toward said rotary piston.

2. A cartridge feeder device for automatic firearms having a breechblock and a drive mechanism operable independently of the breechblock comprising:

a feeder member for feeding cartridges;

a drive member for receiving a drive impulse from the firearm as a round is fired;

a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said feeder member and said drive member, said system being operable to function as an accumulator of energy and comprising:

a torsion bar,

a spring cage surrounding said torsion bar,

means anchoring one end of said cage with one end of said torsion bar, and

means anchoring the other end of said cage with said feeder member;

said feeder member comprising a star-shaped cartridge feeder part, with said torsion bar spring system being positioned centrally through said starshaped cartridge feeder part; and

said drive member including:

a ratchet wheel drivingly engaging the other end of said torsion bar, and

a gas-pressure activated rotary piston operably connected to said ratchet wheel to drive said ratchet wheel.

3. A cartridge feeder device according to claim 2 wherein said drive member further includes:

a thrust piston arranged in a housing portion of said firearm and being operable to move laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of said firearm to impart rotation to said rotary piston.

4. An automatic firearm comprising:

a barrel means;

a breechblock mechanism movably mounted in said barrel means;

a cartridge feeder device;

means fixedly securing said barrel means to said feeder device against relative longitudinal reciprocating movement with respect thereto;

said cartridge feeder device comprising:

a drive mechanism operable independently of movement of said breechblock mechanism and including means for transmitting a drive impulse in response to a firing of the firearm;

feeder means communicating with said barrel means for delivering cartridges thereto;

a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means for storing and transmitting energy from said drive mechanism in response to a firing of the forearm;

said drive element comprising a rotary piston;

said driving mechanism including a thrust piston communicating with said conduit means and being mounted in said barrel means for reciprocal movement toward and away from a portion of said rotary piston in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of said rotary piston;

said torsion bar spring system including a torsion bar operatively connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means;

means being operatively connected to said torsion bar to limit movement thereof to substantially one direction; and

said drive mechanism including:

a gas-pressure activated drive element, and conduit means for conducting gases from the interior of said barrel means to activate said drive element in response to a firing of the firearm.

5. An automatic firearm according to claim 4 wherein said drive mechanism includes:

said means limiting movement of said torsion bar to substantially one direction comprising a ratchet wheel operatively connected between said rotary piston and said one end of said torsion bar.

6. An automatic feeder device according to claim 4 wherein said torsion bar spring system includes:

a torsion bar being connected at one end to said drive mechanism;

a spring cage positioned around said torsion bar and being anchored at one end to the other end of said torsion bar and being anchored at the other end thereof to said feeder means;

through a central aperture of said feeder part. 8. An automatic firearm according to claim 6 wherein said spring cage includes a plurality of longitudinally extending spring strip members circumferentially spaced around said torsion bar. 

1. An automatic firearm comprising: a barrel means; a breechblock mechanism movably mounted in said barrel means; a cartridge feeder device; means fixedly securing said barrel means to said feeder device against relative longitudinal reciprocating movement with respect thereto, said cartridge feeder device comprising: a drive mechanism operable independently of movement of said breechblock mechanism and including means for transmitting a drive impulse in response to a firing of the firearm; feeder means communicating with said barrel means for delivering cartridges thereto; and a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means for storing and transmitting energy from said drive mechanism in response to a firing of the firearm; said drive mechanism comprising: a rotary piston drivingly coupled to said torsion bar spring system; and means, including a conduit communicating with the interior of said barrel means and having a portion thereof extending toward said rotary piston laterally of the axis of rotation thereof, for exerting exhaust-gas energy from said barrel laterally toward said rotary piston.
 2. A cartridge feeder device for automatic firearms having a breechblock and a drive mechanism operable independently of the breechblock comprising: a feeder member for feeding cartridges; a drive member for receiving a drive impulse from the firearm as a round is fired; a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said feeder member and said drive member, said system being operable to function as an accumulator of energy and comprising: a torsion bar, a spring cage surrounding said torsion bar, means anchoring one end of said cage with one end of said torsion bar, and means anchoring the other end of said cage with said feeder member; said feeder member comprising a star-shaped cartridge feeder part, with said torsion bar spring system being positioned centrally through said star-shaped cartridge feeder part; and said drive member including: a ratchet wheel drivingly engaging the other end of said torsion bar, and a gas-pressure activated rotary piston operably connected to said ratchet wheel to drive said ratchet wheel.
 3. A cartridge feeder device according to claim 2 wherein said drive member further includes: a thrust piston arranged in a housing portion of said firearm and being operable to move laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of said firearm to impart rotation to said rotary piston.
 4. An automatic firearm comprising: a barrel means; a breechblock mechanism movably mounted in said barrel means; a cartridge feeder device; means fixedly securing said barrel means to said feeder device against relative longitudinal reciprocating movement with respect thereto; said cartridge feeder device comprising: a drive mechanism operable independently of movement of said breechblock mechanism and including means for transmitting a drive impulse in response to a firing of the firearm; feeder means communicating with said barrel means for delivering cartridges thereto; a torsion bar spring system operably connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means for storing and transmitting energy from said drive mechanism in response to a firing of the firearm; said drive element comprising a rotary piston; SAID driving mechanism including a thrust piston communicating with said conduit means and being mounted in said barrel means for reciprocal movement toward and away from a portion of said rotary piston in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of said rotary piston; said torsion bar spring system including a torsion bar operatively connected between said drive mechanism and said feeder means; means being operatively connected to said torsion bar to limit movement thereof to substantially one direction; and said drive mechanism including: a gas-pressure activated drive element, and conduit means for conducting gases from the interior of said barrel means to activate said drive element in response to a firing of the firearm.
 5. An automatic firearm according to claim 4 wherein said drive mechanism includes: said means limiting movement of said torsion bar to substantially one direction comprising a ratchet wheel operatively connected between said rotary piston and said one end of said torsion bar.
 6. An automatic feeder device according to claim 4 wherein said torsion bar spring system includes: a torsion bar being connected at one end to said drive mechanism; a spring cage positioned around said torsion bar and being anchored at one end to the other end of said torsion bar and being anchored at the other end thereof to said feeder means; said torsion bar being responsive to relative movement between said drive mechanism and said feeder means to store and release energy.
 7. An automatic firearm according to claim 6 wherein: said feeder means comprises a star-shaped cartridge feeder part, and said torsion bar spring system being positioned through a central aperture of said feeder part.
 8. An automatic firearm according to claim 6 wherein said spring cage includes a plurality of longitudinally extending spring strip members circumferentially spaced around said torsion bar. 